Western Australia’s new Minister for Mines, Petroleum and Exploration, Daniel Pastorelli, is being pressed by the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC) to fast‑track key legislative and regulatory reforms following his appointment in a cabinet reshuffle replacing David Michael. AMEC is pushing for immediate clarity and streamlining around approvals and compliance settings that directly affect exploration timelines and project financing risk in WA’s hard‑rock sector. For geotechnical and mining engineers, any shift in these frameworks will influence permitting schedules, drilling campaigns and long‑lead design commitments across new and brownfield sites.

Australia and India have signed a Joint Statement on Energy Security in Melbourne, committing to accelerate renewable energy deployment and electrification backed by secure critical minerals supply chains. The agreement links Australian lithium, rare earths and other battery metals projects to India’s fast‑growing solar, wind and grid‑scale storage build‑out, with both governments signalling support for long‑term offtake and investment frameworks. For miners, the move points to stronger demand signals, potential bilateral funding mechanisms and closer alignment of project development with Indian OEM and battery manufacturing needs.

Nunavut’s devolution, scheduled for 1 April 2027, will shift land, water and resource management – including mineral claims and tenure on Crown lands – from Ottawa to Iqaluit, in a territory where mining contributed C$1.45 billion, or 35% of GDP, in 2025. Major operations such as Agnico Eagle’s Meadowbank-Amaruq and Meliadine, B2Gold’s Goose and Baffinland’s Mary River currently sit wholly or partly on Inuit Owned Lands, so royalty flows will not materially change until new Crown land mines are developed. Territorial officials are drafting “mirror” legislation to replicate federal permitting so approvals for projects and exploration programmes continue without interruption on day one.